Wrestling One-Shots Volume 5

Wade Barrett

"You look great." Samantha compliments you. "And you're gonna do great." She adds.

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Nervous, you smooth down your dress while looking at yourself in the floor mirror. This week you're replacing Samantha as the ring announcer for a few weeks while she's on her honeymoon.

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"You think so?" You turn to her. "I don't know. It's been so long since I've had to do anything like this." You sigh.

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"It's gonna be fine," Samantha assures you again with an encouraging smile. "You were a great backstage interviewer. And this is way easier than that. Now come on, someone from the commentary team should be by soon to walk you down there." She adds.

You nod and put on a brave smile. "You're right! I can do this! It's not like I'm going to run into anyone that I used to know. Right?" You assure yourself.

"Exactly." Samantha agrees.

Samantha gives you one last round of encouragement before she heads out to catch her flight. You hang back and wait for the eventual knock at the door.

A sharp knock at the door sounds a bit later while you're looking at your phone. "Coming!" You hurriedly put your phone away and head to the door.

You open the door and expect to find a friendly face on the other side of the door. Instead, you find a sharply dressed chest staring back at you.

"Oh!" You stutter and adjust your gaze a bit higher. "Wade Barrett?"

"Y/N?" Wade replies, seemingly just as surprised as you. "Samantha told me her replacement was someone that worked here before. But I wasn't expecting you. How are you?" He asks you.

Words escape you for a moment. Suddenly you're back in 2014 standing backstage waiting for your interview with Barrett. You aren't alone for long before Wade approaches you fresh from a match out in the ring. His sweaty and toned body stares you right in the face, leaving you speechless for a moment. That is until Barrett chuckles as he towers above you. "You aren't nervous, are you, Y/N?" He asks you playfully. 

You are pulled back into reality when Wade prompts you again. "Y/N?" He calls your name. 

"Hmm? Oh, how have I been." You laugh nervously, remembering Wade's original question. "I've been good. Wade, thank you." You answer him. 

"That's good." Wade nods. "Well, you look fantastic." He compliments you. "And I'm sure that you're going to be a great replacement for Samantha while she's gone." He assures you. 

You nod again with a smile, hoping that this awkwardness will pass. "Thank you." You thank him again.

"Well then, let's get you down to ringside." Wade takes a step back so you can exit the room without running into him. 

"Right." You nod and follow Wade through the backstage area and out to ringside. 

Wade walks you over to the ringside area where the medical staff and bell keeper are sitting. There is a chair set up a few feet from the commentary table for you. "Here we are! Best seat in the house, just for you." Wade gestures to the chair. 

"Perfect." You nod and step past Wade to get to the chair. 

Wade steps off to the side and sits down at the commentary table before he grabs a paper sitting in front of his chair. He turns and hands the paper over to you with a smile. 

"Here, this is for you." Wade reaches over so you can grab the paper. "It's a list of people on the card tonight. Just in case you forget, or don't know someone's name." He explains. "And I'll be right here if you need anything during the show." 

"Great. Thanks, Wade." You glance through the names on the sheet. 

Some of the names you recognize, but others you don't. And Wade must recognize your worry because he turns to you again and sets a hand on your leg comfortingly. "You're gonna do great." He assures you. "You did a bang-up job back when I was doing in-ring work. So this should be a cakewalk for you." 

"That's not exactly how I remember it." You mumble to yourself. 

Wade goes to reply but Michael Cole arrives at the commentary table and interrupts you. Michael greets you briefly before he settles into his chair and it's time for the show to go live. 

You work through the show as best that you can. And thankfully, you don't mess up anyone's entrances. The show comes to a close and you sigh in relief that you made it through the night. 

"You did great, Y/N." Michael compliments you as everyone is heading up the ramp to get backstage again. 

"Thanks, Michael." You smile at him. 

Michael breaks away from you and Wade when you get backstage, but Barrett sticks with you. You walk all the way back to your changing room before either of you says anything again. 

"Y/N, about early," Wade speaks up when you get to the door. "I didn't say something that made you worry more about the show, right?" He asks you. "Because if I did, I didn't mean to. I was only teasing to lighten the mood a bit." 

"What!" You reply. "Oh! No, Wade, it's nothing like that." You are quick to assure him that he didn't upset you. "It's just...well..." You stutter. 

Wade tilts his head at you then something occurs to him. A cheeky grin cracks on his face and he chuckles down at you. "I don't still make you nervous, do I, love?" He asks you curiously. 

"I...no." You stutter again. 

"Right." Wade chuckles. "The blush on your cheeks say differently I'm afraid." He teases you. 

You put your head in your hands in embarrassment and Wade chuckles again. "It's not funny, Wade!" You scold him. 

"It kind of is," Wade replies. "It's also very cute." 

"Cute?" You raise your head back out of your hands. 

Wade nods casually and pulls his phone out of his suit jacket. "Give me your number. We can discuss this more when we don't have work." He offers. 

"Okay." You nod and take the phone from Wade to enter your number. "There, it's in." You hand the phone back to him. 

"Perfect." Wade pockets his phone again. "I'll see you later, Y/N." He winks before he walks off. 

You nod and slip back into your room silently. You shut the door behind you and give yourself a moment to compose yourself. "What the fuck?" You mumble to yourself. "I've got to be dreaming right now."